Shoulder Pain Diagnosis Chart
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There are many types and locations of shoulder pain, and there are many causes. Here, we have shown the most common musculoskeletal causes of shoulder pain on a front shoulder pain diagnosis chart and a back shoulder pain diagnosis chart.
The images depict the common area where pain is felt for different shoulder conditions. We have provided a brief description of each shoulder condition and links to relevant articles about some of these conditions if you want to learn more about them.
Front Shoulder Pain Diagnosis Chart
Sternoclavicular pain: The sternoclavicular joint connects the sternum, our breast bone, and the clavicle, or collar bone. Pain can develop here when the joint has been overloaded. This injury is typically caused by trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident, a fall from a bike or a collision in sport.
Acromioclavicular pain: Usually caused by a fall on an outstretched arm, this is common with cyclists and other sports persons. This joint is also susceptible to wear and tear and is a common site of arthritis in the upper body.
Clavicle fracture: This is a common injury with cyclists as it is most often caused by a fall onto an outstretched arm. Also sometimes cause by motor vehicle accidents. In infants, it is a common injury from birth as they pass through the narrow birth canal.
Glenhumeral arthritis: This affects about one in five people, causing pain and stiffness of the shoulder joint. Usually, it is a gradual onset with no specific cause. Read our related article to learn about pain relief for arthritis: Does Massage Help Arthritis?
SLAP tears and Bankart lesions: These are both types of Shoulder Labral Tears, usually caused by significant trauma such as a fall or a shoulder dislocation. Sports requiring repeated high-force shoulder movements are also at risk, such as baseball (pitchers), tennis and volleyball.
Biceps tendon pain: Injury to the tendon, such as a tear or overload, causes tendinopathy/tendonitis and can cause pain in the biceps tendon. Most at-risk sports involve repetitive overhead actions, such as swimming, tennis, and baseball pitchers. You can read more about this injury in our article: Long Head of Biceps Tendonitis.
Subacromial pain (SAP): A term to describe pain from below the acromion of the scapula, typically this refers to rotator cuff pain and shoulder bursitis. You can read about the Subscapularis Muscle, one of the four rotator cuff muscles.
Frozen shoulder: This is a painful shoulder condition characterised by increasing stiffness and a restricted range of motion. It can develop spontaneously or sometimes occur following trauma to the shoulder.
Humerus fracture: Mid-shaft is one of the most common locations of humerus fracture. It is typically caused by trauma such as a fall or motor vehicle accident.
Back Shoulder Pain Diagnosis Chart
Upper trapezius and levator scapula rigger points: These are common pain points within the muscle. The term “trigger point” is widely debated among clinicians as to what it exactly means. Some describe it as a hyperirritable point within the muscle that refers to pain in a specific pattern. Still, there is controversy, with other clinicians saying there is no proof they exist.
Upper trapezius muscle strain: A muscle strain is caused by an acute or chronic overload of a muscle. For the upper trapezius, a chronic overload can be related to poor posture, and an acute cause may be picking up or carrying a heavy load.
Postural pain: Poor posture can overload muscles that are poorly conditioned or just not well adapted to cope with the load. Upper back and shoulder pain is often related to slouched or forward head postures. You can read about massage as a management and treatment for postural pain in these related articles: Massage for Neck Pain and Massage for Back Pain.
Nerve pain referring from the neck: Nerve pain has many causes and should always be thoroughly investigated by a medical practitioner as there can be sinister causes and severe and long-lasting effects such as reduced or lost sensation, strength and coordination. In some cases, massage can help symptoms; read more about this in our related article: Massage for Trapped Nerve.
Scapula fractures are rare, accounting for only 1% of all occurring fractures. Typically, these are caused by trauma, a fall from a height, a motor vehicle accident or a blunt force trauma to the upper back or back of the shoulder.
T4 syndrome: This is a relatively rare condition of pain in the back at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra, and symptoms also include pins and needles and sometimes numbness and reduced reflexes of the arms.
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We specialise in shoulder injury rehabilitation, with appointments available in our Fulham, South West London clinic.